3 August 2013
First Reading: Levit. 25:1.8-17.
The LORD said to Moses on Mount
Sinai,
"Seven weeks of years shall you
count--seven times seven years--so that the seven cycles amount to forty-nine
years. Then, on the tenth day of the seventh month let the trumpet resound; on
this, the Day of Atonement, the trumpet blast shall re-echo throughout your
land.
This fiftieth year you shall make sacred by proclaiming
liberty in the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you,
when every one of you shall return to his own property, everyone to his own
family estate.
In this fiftieth year, your year of jubilee, you shall not
sow, nor shall you reap the after-growth or pick the grapes from the untrimmed
vines.
Since this is the jubilee, which
shall be sacred for you, you may not eat of its produce, except as taken
directly from the field.
"In this year of jubilee, then,
every one of you shall return to his own property.
Therefore, when you sell any land to
your neighbour or buy any from him, do not deal unfairly.
On the basis of the number of years
since the last jubilee shall you purchase the land from him; and so also, on
the basis of the number of years for crops, shall he sell it to you.
When the years are many, the price
shall be so much the more; when the years are few, the price shall be so much
the less. For it is really the number of crops that he sells you.
Do not deal unfairly, then; but
stand in fear of your God. I, the LORD, am your God.
Ps 67(66):2-3.5.7-8.
May God have pity on us and bless us;
may he let his face shine upon us. So may your way be known upon earth;
among all nations, your salvation.
May the nations be glad and exult
because you rule the peoples in equity;
the nations on the earth you guide.
The earth has yielded its fruits;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us,
and may all the ends of the earth fear him!
Gospel of St Matthew 14:1-12.
At that time Herod the tetrarch
heard of the reputation of Jesus and said to his servants, "This man is
John the Baptist. He has been raised from the dead; that is why mighty powers
are at work in him."
Now Herod had arrested John, bound (him), and put him in
prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, for John had
said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."
Although he wanted to kill him, he feared the people, for
they regarded him as a prophet.
But at a birthday celebration for Herod, the daughter of
Herodias performed a dance before the guests and delighted Herod so much that
he swore to give her whatever she might ask for. Prompted by her mother, she
said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the
guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded
in the prison.
His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl,
who took it to her mother.
His disciples came and took away the corpse and buried him;
and they went and told Jesus.
John the Baptist has always been a hero of mine. He spoke the
truth even if it meant he lost his head for doing so. These days there are too
many people afraid of speaking out about injustices or crimes for fear of
reprisals, repercussion and many imply they will lose their job if they did.
I have spoken with a number of teachers in Catholic schools
who now confide their knowledge of priest, brothers or lay principals whom they
suspected of being pedophiles because of their excessive affection for one
particular student (who was later found to have been abused).
These gutless cowards never said anything at the time because, as they now claim, “He was my boss. It was just my word against his. I didn’t have any tangible proof” or any other of a host of excuses which all allowed the abuse to continue. John the Baptist didn’t make excuses. He spoke the truth without fear.
There are a lot of sexually damaged people in society who may have been spared the depth of damage if someone who suspected that there was danger about, had said something.These gutless cowards never said anything at the time because, as they now claim, “He was my boss. It was just my word against his. I didn’t have any tangible proof” or any other of a host of excuses which all allowed the abuse to continue. John the Baptist didn’t make excuses. He spoke the truth without fear.
What about John? He could have said, "Its none of my business". But we recognise him as a saint now because he didn't avoid responsibility.
He is an inspiration to those who us who tell the people
above us in authority when they have done the wrong thing. We need more John
the Baptists and less sycophants and cowards afraid to challenge the establishment.
Byzantine liturgy -
Troparion and kathisma of matins of 29/08 (trans. Mother Mary of the Monastery
of the Veil of the Mother of God, 1969)
Behold I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you
“The memory of the just is praised” (Pr 10,7), but thou art
well pleased, O Forerunner, with the testimony of the Lord. For thou has verily
been shown forth as more honored than the prophets (Mt 11,9), since thou wast
counted worthy to baptize in the stream him whom they foretold. Therefore,
having mightily contended and suffered for the truth, with joy thou has
preached also to those in hell the good things of God made manifest in the
flesh, who takes away the sin of the world (1Tm 3,16; Jn 1,29) and grants us
great mercy.By the will of God hast thou come forth from the womb of a barren
woman; thou hast broken the bonds of thy father's tongue (Lk 1,7.64); thou hast
shown us the Sun who enlightens thee,O thou, the star of morning. In the desert
hast thou preached to the people of their Creator, of the lamb that takes away
the sin of the world.
In thy zeal hast thou rebuked the king and thy glorious head
was severed, O thou, illustrious Forerunner, truly worthy of our songs.
Intercede with Christ our God that he might grant forgiveness for all their
sins to those who, with heartfelt devotion, celebrate thy holy memory.
Further Reading about the Catholic Church's approach to pedophiles... When the heat is on, the Church moves its problems to another country http://t.co/vSEVAhq8tr
Further Reading about the Catholic Church's approach to pedophiles... When the heat is on, the Church moves its problems to another country http://t.co/vSEVAhq8tr
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